Numerous items recovered in ongoing Erie burglary probe

Erie police announced that two city residents have been charged in a series of burglaries in the city over the past two months. Shown at a news conference at the Erie Municipal Building on Aug. 27 is some of the recovered jewelry. Other recovered items (not shown) included electronics, power tools and weapons. CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS

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Someone is missing a set of walking weights with built-in pepper spray.

The black hand weights, still in the box, sit on a table in an Erie police training room, near other tables covered with watches, cameras, stereo equipment, backgammon games, a porcelain doll, a Kohl's gift card and a pair of leopard print shoes with a clearance tag still attached to them.

These items, and many others, were seized by Erie police detectives in an investigation that started with a probe into the illegal use of credit cards but branched out into numerous burglary cases.

Police said they are hoping to reunite the items with their owners as they continue to work at identifying places that were broken into.

"These burglaries involved a timeline going back to approximately April of this year that we can tell so far. It involved areas throughout the whole city, east and west side both," Erie Police Chief Steve Franklin said on Tuesday morning, as police administrators and case investigators gathered to discuss the investigation and show off the seized items.

"The result of these arrests will curtail the burglaries that we have experienced throughout the year," Franklin added.

Detectives said the recovered property was found in the West 26th Street residence of Michael Bob Sr., 57, who was charged on Friday with committing three residential burglaries. Also charged on Friday was Bob's accused accomplice, Julia K. Himmel, 26, of Cherry Street.

Police charge that the two broke into a residence in the 3100 block of Oakwood Street on July 16 and stole items including a laptop computer, a camera and jewelry; broke into a residence in the 1300 block of West 28th Street on Aug. 3 and stole items including televisions, laptops and a 9 mm handgun; and broke into a residence in the 2000 block of West 24th Street on Aug. 10 and took items including rifles and a television, according to court documents filed by Erie police Detective Sgt. Barry Snyder and Detective Tom Gray.

Investigators have not recovered any of the stolen firearms. Franklin said police believe the weapons were sold to "various parties throughout the city."

Franklin said Bob and Himmel are the only suspects in the burglary spree that investigators have identified so far. The two could face additional charges as the investigation continues, he said.

Bob was also arraigned Friday on access device fraud and other charges on allegations he used credit cards stolen in another burglary to make three purchases totaling less than $100 in July. It was the investigation into the use of those cards that launched the larger burglary investigation, detectives said Tuesday.

Police ask anyone who might have been victimized in the burglary spree, and who can identify some of the recovered property, to call Snyder at 870-1506, Gray at 870-1169 or the Erie police officer in charge at 870-1120.

TIM HAHN can be reached at 870-1731 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNhahn.

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MORE ON CRIME: To see more coverage of crime in the Erie area, including Erie County’s Most Wanted and a map of incidents in Erie and Millcreek Township, click here.